Interoperable capabilities

Abstract

Example implementations relate to an interoperable capability. For example, in an implementation, an interoperable capability is recognizable by a plurality of kernels of a system, and the interoperable capability references a local capability of respective kernels. Consistency among the local capabilities of the kernels and the interoperable capability is maintained, in response to operations invoked on the interoperable capability.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 memory to store an interoperable capability and local capabilities, wherein the interoperable capability is accessible by a plurality of operating system kernels, each local capability belongs to a respective kernel and is formatted in a representation specific to the respective kernel, and the interoperable capability references the local capability of each kernel; and   a processing resource to:
 run the kernels, each kernel maintaining a mapping of the local capability of the each kernel to the interoperable capability, and 
 maintain consistency among the local capabilities of the kernels and the interoperable capability in response to invocation of an operation on the interoperable capability. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the interoperable capability is stored in a persistent and shared portion of the memory accessible to all of the kernels, and
 the local capability of each kernel is stored in a portion of the memory local to the each kernel.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the interoperable capability is of a fixed size and includes a reference to a list of pointers that point to local capabilities 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the interoperable capability includes inlined references to local capabilities. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the interoperable capability includes inlined local capabilities. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing resource is to maintain consistency by achieving consensus among the kernels to execute the operation. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing resource is to maintain consistency by forwarding invocation of the operation to a capability owner from among the kernels, the capability owner having authority to execute the operation on the interoperable capability. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing resource is to maintain consistency by enforcing each of the kernels to execute the operation on respective local capabilities. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the interoperable capability includes metadata that indicates a constraint on usage of the interoperable capability, and each kernel observes the constraint when using the interoperable capability. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 maintaining, by a multi-computer, an interoperable capability that is recognizable by each kernel of a plurality of operating system kernels running on the multi-computer;   establishing, by the multi-computer, references of the interoperable capability to associated local capabilities at respective kernels;   storing, by the multi-computer and in metadata of the interoperable capability,
 a representation of a resource of the multi-computer accessed via the interoperable capability, and 
 a constraint on usage of the resource observed by each kernel when using the interoperable capability, and 
   mediating, by the multi-computer, operations invoked by the kernels on the interoperable capability to achieve consistency among the local capabilities of the kernels and the interoperable capability.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the mediating includes achieving consensus among the kernels on an order in which to execute the operations. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the constraint relates to liveness, persistence, or quality of service or the resource of the multi-computer. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the establishing references includes:
 including, in the interoperable capability, a reference to an array of references to the local capabilities,   inlining the local capabilities into the interoperable capability, or   inlining, into the interoperable capability, pointers to the local capabilities.   
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions executable by a processing resource of a multi-computer, the non-transitory machine readable medium comprising:
 instructions to establish an interoperable capability that is recognizable by each kernel of a plurality of kernels running on the multi-computer, the interoperable capability referencing local kernel capability representations of respective kernels;   instructions to store in metadata of the interoperable capability, a representation of a resource of the multi-computer accessed via the interoperable capability, and a guarantee on usage of the resource that is imposed on each kernel using the interoperable capability; and   instructions to mediate operations invoked by the kernels on the interoperable capability to achieve consistency among the local kernel capability representations and the interoperable capability.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions to mediate operations includes:
 instructions to achieving consensus among the kernels on an order in which to execute the operations,   instructions to forward each invoked operation to a capability owner from among the kernels that has authority to execute the operation on the interoperable capability, or   instructions to enforce each of the kernels to execute the operations on respective local kernel capability representations.